Al-Qaeda releases Ely Ould Mokhtar

Private sources close to the Mauritanian gendarme Ely Ould Mokhtar kidnapped by Al-Qaeda disclosed to Arabstoday  on Saturday, that he has been released in an exchange deal with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). According to the source, Al-Qaeda released the Mauritanian together with Italian hostage, Rosella Urro working for the CISP Charitable organisation in exchange for the release of Abderrahmane Ould Amadou al-Azawad, an AQIM militiaman in Bamako. "The Italian hostage will be taken by private plane to Rome, while Ely Ould Mokhtar will be received by the Mauritanian embassy in Bamako", added the source. The exchange deal of the Mauritanian also includes a detainee charged with  affiliation to the Al-Qaeda organization,  Abdul Rahman Ould Amdo who was convicted of kidnapping an Italian tourist together with his wife in 2010. Al-Qaeda's deadline for executing the soldier was 20 days, was due to expire on Saturday evening. However the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hamadi Ould Hamadi, said in an earlier interview: "Mauritania will not enter into negotiations with the AQIM and the gendarme Ely Ould Mokhtar has to be prepared for death." Many national and human rights organisations as well as political parties have demanded the release of the kidnapped gendarme. The execution threats to Ely Ould Mokhtar  caused protests in the streets in order to attract  national and international attention towards the gendarme who was kidnapped months ago.